Kevin Haskin: Disparity in Sunflower records drives Weis

New Kansas football coach Charlie Weis already has examined the competitive landscape in Kansas enough to know that rival Kansas State enjoyed a 10-2 record this season while the KU team he inherits managed only two wins.

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LAWRENCE — At some point during a comprehensive and exhaustive interview, Kansas values shifted to Kansas reality.

Sheahon Zenger was making his presentation as KU’s athletic director. Charlie Weis was listening as a prospective coach. The exchange was part of the “good five hours” Weis estimated their conversation lasted.

He was convinced to accept the KU job, in spite of some disturbing in-state symmetry.

“Why is the University of Kansas 2-10 and why is Kansas State 10-2?’’ Weis asked Friday during opening comments he prepared for his introductory news conference. “I don’t have that answer, but that’s what I’m here for. I’m here to figure out why that is and see what we’re going to do to change that. And that’s really the bottom line.

“I don’t have a magic wand I’m going to wave, and all of a sudden we’re going to flip the switch and now we’re 10-2. But all I know is we’re the University of Kansas and that (disparity) is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.’’

Boom. With that, Weis acknowledged the Jayhawks’ chief rival.

This is the new frontier Kansas must recognize, and it is smack dab within the state borders.

The development is the byproduct of conference realignment. Just two years ago when KU hired a new coach, one of the priorities Turner Gill listed was “beat Missouri.’’ Now, Mizzou is headed for the SEC. Weis must focus on overtaking K-State, which is headed for the Cotton Bowl as the second-place finisher in the ever-changing Big 12.

How will he do it? Certainly not by letting the quest to beat K-State consume him, his coaches or his players.

Too many details exist that must be tended to first.

Weis must assemble a staff. As an offensive mastermind, he must find a defensive coordinator he feels comfortable consulting with but can also leave alone to overhaul KU’s worst unit.

“You need somebody with a lot of energy who is able to understand how to play the whole field,’’ Weis maintained.

Existing players also must be reprogrammed to accept a disciplined approach designed to change the Jayhawks’ losing mentality. In the process, a grueling offseason will make them better conditioned.

“It’s not going to be pleasant,’’ Weis promised.

Recruits must be approached who fit the schemes Weis introduces and also comply with the needs he thinks must be addressed. That challenge won’t be fulfilled with the first class. Based on his background, however, Weis figures to groom a productive player at the most important position, quarterback.

Review those essentials if you want. They probably don’t differ from many of the issues most new coaches face. Yet to get players to buy in, you must instill goals.

One constant is to one-up a rival.

So when he met with players Friday, Weis mentioned the juxtaposed records.

“I basically posed the same question to those guys,’’ he said. “How are we going to start closing that gap, flipping that switch, getting that 2-10 team and that 10-2 team on different planes? That’s why I’m here.’’

Weis mentioned Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, regal coaches he learned under and will attempt to “copy-cat.’’

What impressed me more, however, was when he talked about the people he consults while recruiting. Rather than just chat with a high school coach, Weis said he visits with the custodian, the lunch lady, the security guard, anyone who can provide details on a prospect.

Actually, a lot of what Weis said impressed me. Like how he:

■ Felt humbled that he “never really got it right’’ during his five trying seasons at Notre Dame.

■ Reasoned that the challenges presented at KU made it “too good of an opportunity to pass up.’’

■ Hired a new academic liaison for KU football, then told players, “You want to know the good news? That’s also me.’’

“If you talk to people who know his teams,’’ said Zenger, “he’s a disciplinarian and they love him. And to me, there’s a magic to that.’’

Most believe that overturning KU’s football fortunes requires considerable magic as well.

Zenger, however, understands the importance of tireless, hard work. He once saw it while working for Bill Snyder at K-State. He senses that ethic, and desire, drives Charlie Weis, the coach he hired to oversee a turnaround for KU.

Currently, there is a vast divide between those two programs, not only in the records, but also the personal memories of the two coaches.

Weis remembered a scouting trip to K-State he conducted once for Parcells.

“I went in there,’’ Weis said, “and asked the secretary if I could have a few minutes with coach Snyder. ‘Certainly, take a seat.’ Three hours later, I got three minutes.’’

Not long enough to leave much of an impression, apparently. Snyder did call KU’s selection “a quality hire” when asked Friday. Then he added: “I’m anxious to have an opportunity to see him and visit with him. I don’t know him, but I certainly know of his background.’’

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What's new, another Kstate fan that forgets the fact that football was around in Manhattan before Snyder.....and it was brutal! You can own Texas all you want....they own Championships and that's all that matters.....

ku sure dominated that series through the Vietnam War. How is that even remotely relevant to modern times again? College football has changed a ton since the 1960s. I'm just hoping ku gets a little bit better, because I'd be furious if KSU gets left out of a big conference during the next realignment because little brother ku is only competitive in one single, solitary sport (and one that doesn't matter in realignment).

ku sure dominated that series through the Vietnam War. How is that even remotely relevant to modern times again? College football has changed a ton since the 1960s. I'm just hoping ku gets a little bit better, because I'd be furious if KSU gets left out of a big conference during the next realignment because little brother ku is only competitive in one single, solitary sport (and one that doesn't matter in realignment).

Ok; k-state fans how many times has k-state won a national championship in either football or basketball (answer: 0). Yes, I would have once agreed that Missouri was the greater rival to KU (just as Nebraska was once a rival to k-state - by the way how many times did Snyder defeat Coach Tom Osborne: 0). Yet, even though misery committed judas to the conference and is gone k-state has still been a heated rival - so much that I DISTAIN THE COLOR OF purple, yuck!

and there is a new day coming.....
what is past is past....K State can live in their past victories all they want....what happens on the field in the next several years will define the state of the relationship between the two schools and coaches.

dfybaby21 that if the Big XII had folded KSU would have been an albatross around the neck of the flagship university of the state of Kansas. KSU isn't even competitive in one single solitary sport and no one wanted to add flying in to Manhattan Municipal to their travel itinerary. The truth is that Snyder built KSU up from being the historical laughing stock of NCAA football through scheduling cupcakes and taking in academically challenged JUCO players. Saying that, the man is a genius. If I were you I'd be worried about how much longer Grandpa can continue to coach and what the transition plan is when he retires. How did that last transition work out for you anyway? Lawrence is an immeasurably easier location to recruit to than Manhattan. Given Weis' background, there is even more incentive for quality recruits to come to KU to turn the program around.

You guy's and and your " we own the series" "we own the last ten years" blah, blah, blah.
As a K- state fan, when the season starts next year, I don't care what the cat's did in 2011 or any time before that, I want to know what their going to do for 2012. As for KU, it doesn't do the conference as a whole to have any weak teams, everybody needs to be at least competitive. And as for rivals, I could care less who KU considers as their main rival. That being said, if KU really did consider Missouri as their main rival they would still play them even though they left the conference. And no, KU did not "they lose we win" when Missouri left. It sounds as if Missouri was willing to keep playing outside of the conference but KU said no, took their ball and went home. Sorry, I'm starting to ramble. Got to go now.

An athletic department in the red by more than 40 million dollars is in so much better shape than an athletic department that actually makes money. Also, did you realize that MHK airport has flights to Chi-town and the Big D more than once a day, and will soon be adding DC to the fold? Much easier to get to MHK than that Berkeley wannabe town of Lawrence, where you have to drive nearly an hour from MCI. Probably why we don't have a stable of last place teams throughout our athletic department? As for flagship...shouldn't the flagship university have more students on campus than KSU? Because it doesn't. Take away the KC campus, and Manhattan has more students than Lawrence. Do some research, please. Yeah, once Snyder retires it'll be difficult to maintain the double digit win seasons and top 1o finishes, but at least we know it can be done for long stretches at KSU, whereas it takes fluke one-hit wonder seasons at ku to do anything besides lose by 40 every game. I'm stilll laughing at you thinking ku is the flagship of the state!? Hilarious. The liberal arts school the flagship of the biggest agriculture state in the union. Enjoy finishing last (or nearly last) in every other sport but Men's Basketball.

Thanks for reaffirming my long standing belief that KU fan and alumni are elitist boobs. I'll take my "Grandpa" over any coach that has ever been at KU in any sport and that includes Bill Self. For you to think that any quality recruit would look at Weis, then look at Snyder and choose Weis is typical of the restricted brain function of ordinary KU fan. Whatever formula "Grandpa" developed (thanks for brining up that long standing stupid "cupcake" argument) seems to be working just fine for me. I dare you, no double dog dare you, to go and look at the non-con schedules of the supposed top tier teams over the last 15 years. They all scheduled programs they could beat with little trouble, that includes KSU. KU fan are the Notre Dame, NY Yankee and Dallas Cowboys of the college football world. All of you are t-shirt wearing mouth breathers like you feel some reason to support a team based on nothing tangible. It would please me to no end to see KU go 0-12 next year and every year. What's bad for KU is good for KSU. Those "academically challenged JUCO transfers" you mention have the highest graduation rate in the Big 12. In addition, the only redeaming thing about Lawrence is that it is in Kansas, I'll take Manhattan any day. I love the Weis hire.....they got exactly what I predicted in several other posts........nothing, and this is a great hire for KSU. As a KSU graduate I am happy and should be for quite some time.

You're so delusional and caught up in Kstate it's sad. You sound like a complete dummy on here....You compared a football and basketball coach, you're so rediculous that you even threw Manhattan against Lawrence into your argument. I wish I could've seen your face when you typed that post....Do you still have a keyboard???haha

Kstate has 0 Championships.....0! Now, I have to go enjoy our storied basketball program with multiple CHAMPIONSHIPS and see the introduction of our new football coach! If Leavitt tags along, this hire will be even better....Pintail, go buy a new keyboard, wake up to reality, and have a good weekend!

I personally like Charlie....he is a class act. But that does not change the fact that he is way out of his element. Pointing that out seems to have riled people up. He is 55 and getting ready for retirement and wants one more pig pay out before he retires to the rocking chair.

Weis doesn't have an answer for 'Why?"..a blind man can see why. K-State has better coaches, better conditioning, better discipline, better fan base, and better facilities..duh! Mr. Weis needs to take a ride west of Low-rents and he'll find out pretty quickly exactly WHY nobody cares about ku football in this state.

For ku fans to brag about the overall record is laughable. So?? EVERYONE in the country has an overall record against K-State if they played before 1990. It isn't special. Northern Iowa and Austin Peay have a winning overall records against K-State.. Jeez, at least try to stick to the last couple of decades. I remember when Glen Mason came claiming that there was only room for one good football program in this state..yeah.. and we all know which one it is.

You're an idiot! Your football prigram is pathetic. ..and don't give us that 'albatross'..garbage. if anything, ku is the program that was holding back KSU. You are a ONE horse pony and everyone in the country knows it. 12-1!! 12-1!! That is the record from last year. Guess which school won a whopping ONE athetic event between KSU-ku!! This year, ku hasn't won anything so add another 3 events to a 15-1..yeah, ku is the flagship all right! The flagship pretender that has to be propped up by the REAL school in the state. ku is losing students and KSU is gaining students. K-State has been the choice of Kansas kids for a decade because they aren't fooled by the fools in Low-Rents!

Man, what's funny to me about all this is that it's KU's hire, KU news, KU football coach, KU business, and here come the legions of inferior feeling fans! KSU should be glad that their in-state rival hired what appears to be a good coach because it raises competition in the match as well as the league.

I wouldn't worry about KU. I would worry about Arkansas. They're probably as good, if not better than OU right now.

Man, what's funny to me about all this is that it's KU's hire, KU news, KU football coach, KU business, and here come the legions of inferior feeling fans! KSU should be glad that their in-state rival hired what appears to be a good coach because it raises competition in the match as well as the league.

I wouldn't worry about KU. I would worry about Arkansas. They're probably as good, if not better than OU right now.

Anything played that is not at least in the LIFETIME of the current players is irrelevant to any 'rival' discussion. A football recruit couldn't care less if KSU was a losing program back in the 60's..but the past seems to be the only thing ku has going for them right now. They won exactly ONE athletic event between the two schools last year..one?? Seriously? It isn't just football that sucks in Low-Rents.

Not as much room as KU's football trophy case. KU fan, face it, basketball is fun but football is dominant. Hell, there almost wasn't an NBA season this year and nobody cared. From a sports perspective your average (and above average) human and perspective student is impacted by football, not basketball. Football is king. If you ask which would you rather have, a successful football or basketball program 95% of students and alumni would tell you football. Wichita State gave up their football program because of the expense but I bet if you asked the their fans and alumni if they could switch from having a moderately successful basketball program to a moderately successful football program......well we know the answer don't we. Green is not a good color on you KU fan.

But, remember ku did win that ONE event last year..in men's basketball at home..so face it, they don't care that they lost every other time they faced KSU for the entire year. Plus, of course, they have to ignore that beatdown they took later. One basketball win against a school that isn't their 'real' rival must have been good enough for them.

"Sheahon Zenger, introducing his new coach after a week and a half on the road: "I set out to find the best, and I found Charlie Weis." I can't believe he actually said that and didn't dive under the table for fear of being hit by lightening. Mr. Zenger, the Lord said, "thou shall not bear false witness!"

Either that or they misquoted - there should be an "all" between the "and" and "I" and a "was" between "found" and "Charlie". Kind of reminds me of the T-shirts that say "You went to the Bahamas and all I got was this lousy t-shirt?"